We Have Been Friends Together

Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton, born Caroline Sheridan, was an English poet, songwriter, novelist, and editor during the Victorian era. Married at only 19, Norton was noted in society as a charming and beautiful intellectual. “We Have Been Friends Together” first appeared in The Undying One and Other Poems, which was published in 1830, three years into her ill-fated marriage to George Norton, an abusive lawyer. Written as a ballad, this poem is indicative of Norton’s shorter poem style. She usually wrote in a defined form, such as ballads or sonnets, and often touched on the poignance of longing for happy childhood and true love. Her poems also typically discuss betrayal and emotional hardship. These subjects may have been informed by her difficult domestic situation. Norton is most famous for her advocacy of marital rights, which was born out of her decision to leave her husband in 1836 due to his physical abuse. George Norton subsequently gained custody of their three young sons and accused his wife of having an affair with British Prime Minister Lord Melbourne. The case was thrown out, but Norton learned that under British law she had no rights to her children.